Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) induced waste scenario: A short overview.

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown situation have shown both positive and negative effects on the environmental aspects. With an unprecedented rate the different types of waste volume have up surged along with the COVID-19 contamination rate. As the situation has mandated people as well as the most infected persons to stay at home, the amount of generated hazardous waste is 3.40 kg that can be expected daily from each infected person. China and other countries have seen a massive increment in the hazardous waste generation (about 600 % increase in Hubei province) amount. While dealing with this sudden increase in waste amount, the conventional incineration facilities have been outstripped and waste management industry is facing an immense pressure over handling hazardous waste generated from COVID-19 infected patients. Alongside with the hazardous waste volume, single-use plastic items and personal protective equipment (PPEs) have induced a new type of "PPE pollution" in the land and aquatic environment. The current review provides a countrywide waste generation amount, estimated using the infected number of cases for some selected countries. In contrast with the poor waste management noticed during this pandemic, some suggested approaches towards a better waste management service and future implications of waste management are discussed with viable consideration for the waste workers.

• Authors: Md Sazzadul Haque, Shariar Uddin, Sayed Md Sayem, Kazi Mushfique Mohib
• Journal: Journal of environmental chemical engineering (J Environ Chem Eng) Vol. 9 Issue 1 Pg. 104660 (Feb 2021) ISSN: 2213-2929 [Print] Netherlands
• PMID: 33194544 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)
• Copyright: © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.